Max Kepler - 2014

[iTwins]

 

Player: Maximilian Kepler

Born: 02/10/1993 (21)

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Height: 6’4"

Weight: 205

Position: OF

Bats: L

Throws: L

 

Max joined the Twins as an international signing in 2009. His $800,000 signing bonus was the largest offer ever extended to a European player at that time.

Max was added to the 40 man roster at the end of the 2013 season.

 

Kepler made his professional debut in 2010 (age 17 season) in the Gulf Coast League. He’s spent the past four seasons in the minor league system for the Twins, finishing 2013 at low A Cedar Rapids. He will begin 2014 in high A Fort Myers playing LF.

 

Minor League Stats:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2010

17

Twins

GULF

Rk

MIN

37

153

140

15

40

6

1

[/TD]

11

13

27

.286

.346

.343

.689

48

1

2011

18

Elizabethton

APPY

Rk

MIN

50

221

191

29

50

11

3

1

24

23

54

.262

.347

.366

.714

70

6

3

2

2

2012

19

Elizabethton

APPY

Rk

MIN

59

269

232

40

69

16

5

10

49

27

33

.297

.387

.539

.925

125

5

8

2

2013

20

CedarRapids

MIDW

A

MIN

61

263

236

35

56

11

3

9

40

24

43

.237

.312

.424

.736

100

2

2

[TD]1

1

[/TABLE]

 

Prospect Rankings (2014):

 

 

Fangraphs – 7

Minorleagueball.com - 10

Baseball America – 13 (Top 15 under 25)

MLB.Com – 15

BaseballProspectus - NR

 

 

Scouting Report:

You can read detailed scouting reports on Max here:

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/6/27/4472970/prospect-profile-max-kepler-of-minnesota-twins

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/min/bernie-pleskoff-athletic-twins-prospect-max-kepler-boasts-broad-skill-set?ymd=20131230&content_id=66238584&vkey=news_min

 

While it’s worth your time to read both stories linked above, the highlights of Kepler’s game are:

+ Power

+ Plate discipline (Able to put the ball in play with 2 strikes, will draw walks)

- Arm strength (Average to below average, likely destined to be LF)

- Speed

 

While the Twins had plans for Kepler to be a pure CF when he was signed, it has become apparent that Max’s future likely will be in the corner outfield. His speed has decreased as he’s adding more weight, which has limited his range. His arm has been described as "mediocre" by most scouts, which likely makes him a LF or even a 1B going forward. Although many believe that if he’s shifted to 1B he will be able to add defensive value at the position.

　

Features on Kepler:

 

Read Tyler Mason's piece on Fox Sports North: HERE

 

Kepler at bat:

[video=youtube_share;EEwgPzZ28SI]

 

Twitter:

 

You can follow Max on Twitter (@Kepleroni)

News & Notes:

 

Max strained his UCL in 2013 (similar to the issues Miguel Sano encountered this season) but was able to recover with rehab, instead of surgery. Mike Berardino has a great piece covering Max's rehab and recovery.

[iTwins]

We're only 4 games into the Miracle's season so the numbers don't reflect too much right now; none the less, here's Kepler's stat line from the first 4 games:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

[/TD]

4

18

15

4

3

1

4

2

.200

.278

.333

.611

5

1

[TD]

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 4/9/2014.

 

The highlight of his season so far was a 2 RBI triple in the 8th inning of the Miracle's opener. Kepler's hit helped push across 2 of the 3 runs the Miracle scored in the 8th, en route to a 5-1 win over Jupiter.

[iTwins]

Max has not had a good April. The Fort Myers LF has struggled mightily at the plate to start the season. Max is 3 for 27 (.111) to start the young season and has done little offensively since the 2 RBI triple he hit in the Miracle's home opener.

 

The upside is that Max has only struck out once, meaning nearly everything has been put in play. It's entirely possible he's battling a bit of rough luck to start the season (I'm only able to catch Miracle games via recap, so I can't say if he's making good contact and just unlucky or if something larger is going on.)

 

Without access to more advanced splits, it's hard to say if he's struggling to make contact against a certain pitch or simply having a hard time seeing the zone in the early going.

 

We can take solace in the fact that it's only April and there's still a lot of time for Max's bat to heat up. His up to date numbers are below, for those who want a complete picture.

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

8

32

27

5

3

0

1

0

4

0

0

4

1

.111

.219

.185

.404

5

0

0

0

1

0

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 4/14/2014.

[DocBauer]

Personally, I love the potential of this kid. I think he was primed for a very good season last year before his injury setback. He held his own, in my opinion, in the AFL and learned a lot. He also looked very solid in his brief ST appearances. The season is still very young and I have no doubt the numbers will begin to climb for him soon.

[iTwins]

The beautiful thing about early season numbers is that they can very quickly be altered. After a sluggish first week in which he posted a meager .111/.219/.185 slash line, Max strung a few multi hit games together and is now boasting an improved stat line:

 

[TABLE]

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

21

-1.7

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

16

65

57

8

12

1

2

[/TD]

8

6

4

.211

.292

.298

.591

17

1

1

1

[TD]

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 4/23/2014.

 

As I mentioned last week, Max was posting low averages despite having only one strikeout, showing that many of his problems were coming down to poor luck.

 

Through 65 PA, Max still only has 4 strikeouts and has taken 6 walks. That shows he's seeing the ball well so far and gives a good indication that his average and OBP should continue trending upward.

[iTwins]

Unlike the midwestern spring, Max Kepler is starting to heat up. Another strong week has seen Kepler's numbers climb out of the early season cellar. To date, he's batting:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

-1.7

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

21

85

76

9

16

2

2

1

14

0

1

6

8

.211

.282

.329

.611

25

3

2

0

1

0

[/TABLE]

 

 

 

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 4/29/2014.

 

The highlight of the week came on Sunday, when Kepler hit a grand slam (his first home run of the season) in route to a 10-7 win for the Miracle. I'm trying to find a video of the hit - if / when I do, I'll be sure to share it here.

[iTwins]

After being slated as one of the Miracle's starting corner outfielders heading into 2014 - Kepler has seemingly played just about every position available to him BUT corner outfield through the first month of the season.

 

Byron Buxton's injury forced Max into the starting CF role for the first 22 of 25 games, and a recent injury to Dalton Hicks has shifted Max into a starting 1B role for the time being. The upside is, Kepler is showing his defensive versatility by being able to cover multiple positions - the downside...well, he's not exactly a GOOD CF (.978 fielding percentage with 1 error so far this season in CF). Through 3 games, however, he does seem to be a perfectly servicable player at 1B.

 

Offensively, not much has changed for Kepler over the past week. A few more hits have bumped up his average slightly and a couple more walks have increased his OBP by 22 points from last week. His strikeout totals are beginning to climb as well. He's currently averaging 4 K's per week (or, around 1 per game) I don't think it's anything to be concerned about yet - as his walks have increased at an equal pace, but it's worth monitoring.

 

 

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

-1.7

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

28

112

99

14

22

2

3

2

18

2

1

9

12

.222

.304

.364

.667

36

3

3

[/TD]

1

[TD]

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 5/8/2014.

[iTwins]

So far, Max is posting numbers similar to the rest of the Miracle roster.

 

Unfortunately, the Miracle's roster has largely been ice cold to start the season.

 

Max is in the middle of the pack in nearly every offensive category for the Miracle. His .215 batting average is 9th best (of 15 eligible players) while his .315 OBP is 8th best on the team. His 2 doubles are the fewest of any regular starter - but he is second on the team in triples (3) and 7th in total bases (37).

 

He only added one hit to his totals over the last week, but he has drawn 4 walks over 3 games, bringing his K / BB ratio much closer to 1:1 (15 K/ 13 BB).

 

The early numbers haven't been exciting, but his rising walk totals and relatively low strikeout rate (3rd lowest, amongst regular starters) are good signs that he's seeing the ball well and should be able to get his average up in the coming weeks.

 

[table]

[thead]

YearAgeAgeDifTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead]

201421-1.7FortMyersFLORA+MIN31124107152323218211315.215.315.346.6603733010

[/table]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 5/13/2014.

[Sssuperdave]

Kepler hasn't played for a few days - does anyone know why?

[iTwins]

Kepler hasn't played for a few days - does anyone know why?

 

Haven't heard a peep about an injury. I wonder if it's just a couple of days off? I though he'd be back tonight, but it looks like he's still sitting.

[iTwins]

Kepler returned to the Miracle lineup on May 17th after sitting out the series against Brevard County. I've yet to hear any word as to why Kepler was out for the series - there weren't any reported injuries and the team didn't really address the issue (that I can find, it can be tough to find information surrounding the Miracle. If I've missed something regarding Kepler's "time off" feel free to add it to the thread).

 

Kepler has returned to playing CF (after a brief stint covering 1B). He still likely profiles as a corner outfielder, but the ability to cover all three positions is a positive point in Kepler's game. Kepler's bat, however, continues to struggle this season. After seeing some signs of life a few weeks ago, Kepler's numbers have leveled off. He's still showing decent plate discipline, so there's hope the rest of his numbers could rise to expectations - but we can no longer write off his slow start to it merely being "early in the season".

 

[table]

[thead]

YearTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead]

2014FortMyersFLORA+MIN35141121182624218211519.215.319.347.6664234010

5 Seasons[/td]2421047920137241461622142183102176.262.344.418.7633851717261

Rk (3 seasons)Rk14664356384159339118414263114.282.363.432.7952431211240

A (1 season)A612632363556113940202443.237.312.424.73610022011

A+ (1 season)A+141121182624218211519.215.319.347.6664234010

[/table]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 5/22/2014.

[iTwins]

Kepler has had a good week. He's raised his batting average 14 points from last week and picked up some key hits for the Miracle along the way.

 

His RBI double on May 24th proved to be the winning run and his 3 RBI double on May 25th helped "close out" a 6-1 Miracle win. The extra base hits have helped his slugging and OPS as well. After a slower than expected start to the season, it's great to see Kepler have a solid week.

 

[table]

[thead]

YearAgeAgeDifTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead]

201421-1.7FortMyersFLORA+MIN40162140213244223211723.229.327.357.6845034010

[/table]

 

 

 

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 5/28/2014.

[iTwins]

I'd be remiss if I started this week's updated with anything other than this:

 

Max Kepler played second base for the Miracle last night.

 

This was Max's first appearance at 2B EVER in the minors. He's been used all over the field this season, mainly at CF and 1B - but is commonly believed to be a corner outfielder by the time he's big league ready, so the start at 2B was a bit of a surprise.

 

For what it's worth - he did a solid job. He had 2 defensive opportunities during the game and made both plays. That's good enough for a 1.000 fielding percentage, for those scoring at home.

 

On offense, the past week was a bit up and down (much like the entire season has been). A rain out and a day out of the lineup have given Max only 3 games since last update. He had a solid outing on May 29th, drawing 2 walks and scoring a run in 2 official at bats. That was followed by a terrible 0-4 outing on May 30th, "highlighted" by 3 strikeouts. Last night featured an average 1-4 outing, as the entire Miracle offense strugged to drive in runs.

 

Here's where Max's numbers stand for the season:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

-1.7

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

44

178

153

24

34

5

4

2

23

2

1

19

27

.222

.322

.346

.668

53

3

4

1

1

[TD][/TD]

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 6/3/2014.

[iTwins]

It appears the excitement of Kepler starting at 2B may be misplaced. Mike Berardino (who was just as surprised at Kepler at 2B as the rest of us) is now saying that the whole thing may be typo. It sounds like Eddie Rosario started at 2B for the Miracle last night, while Kepler played CF (a decision that makes a whole heck of lot more sense).

 

If it was a typo, it was a doozy - Baseball Reference and all the other media outlets ran with it. Even the recap of last night's game lists the plays at 2B going to Kepler.

 

So, either Kepler played his first game at 2B EVER or someone with the Miracle made a mistake and we've got a comical story to share. Stay tuned!

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, earlier this morning I e-mailed someone in ft. Myers and they said the same thing. Rosario at 2B, Kepler in CF. They were working to change that on the box score.

[iTwins]

Max left last night's game in the 7th due to injury. This afternoon, the Miracle announced that he would be going on the 7 day DL.

 

I haven't heard any specifics regarding the type of injury Max suffered, but I'll add any info as I find it.

[Lonestar]

Max Kepler played second base for the Miracle last night.

That would be weird playing a left handed thrower at 2B

[DocBauer]

Kepler was one of my top minor leaguers picked to click this season. This was/is based on his talent/potential, what he has shown thus far, including last season when he got the late start, and a sense that he wasn't scared or overmatched in the AFL despite not so hot statistics. His slow start is disconcerting to be sure. However, he's still showing plate discipline which is a positive indicator.

 

He is still very young. And while I don't pretend to understand the level or quality of baseball he played in Germany, I don't think it's hard to speculate it lacked some of the type of talent and competition you'd see here in the States. And again, while vastly athletic, he's very young. By no means am I saying they are complete parallels to one another, but consider all-star Torri Hunter as a somewhat similar comp. A young, athletic kid from a smaller town, in a location that wasn't known for turning out top baseball talent. It took Hunter 7 seasons in the minors, with a couple short term call ups to Minnesota, before he stuck for good. There's still over a half of a full season left to start finding his stroke.

[iTwins]

Max is back!

 

Per Mike Berardino, Max Kepler will be activated from the 7 Day DL today. He had missed time (out since 6/3) due to a left forearm strain.

[iTwins]

Max returned to the Miracle lineup with a bang last night. He went 2-4, with a two run home run in the Miracle's 4 to 7 loss to St. Lucie.

 

After seeing Max struggle for most of the season, it was nice to see him return to the lineup and show some of the power he's known for. Hopefully this marks a turning point for Max and he can keep it up during the 2nd half of the Miracle's season.

[iTwins]

User Actions

Following

 

Brice Zimmerman

‏

@

ZimMiracle

Fine diving grab in RCF by Max Kepler to end the 6th. Max looks good, running well and a much more level swing than before DL stint.

 

 

The above tweet from Miracle play by play guy Brice Zimmerman is a nice sign. Prior to his DL stint, Kepler was struggling mightily and looked out of sorts from last season. Since coming off the DL, Kepler has tallied some hits and even flashed a bit of power - all great signs for one of the better prospects in the Twins' system.

 

To date, Kepler is hitting:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

-1.7

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

52

209

184

29

42

6

4

3

31

3

1

19

35

.228

.313

.353

.666

65

3

4

1

1

0

[/TABLE]

 

 

 

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 6/27/2014.

[iTwins]

Max continues to post good but not great numbers in Fort Myers. He is young for the league and certainly has room to grow, so while his rough season is a bit of a bummer, I wouldn't be concerned as of yet.

 

He's played all over the field this season, logging in nearly half of his games in CF (51 of 63 games). While he's still likely a corner OF long term, it's nice to see he has the defensive range to cover CF in a pinch. To date, Max is hitting:

 

[table]

[thead]

YearAgeAgeDifTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead]

201421-1.7FortMyersFLORA+MIN63251222335094337412345.225.308.342.6507634110

[/table]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 7/10/2014.

[iTwins]

It looks like an injury earlier in the season may have been messing with Kepler's swing. After starting off cold, then spending a few weeks on the DL in June, Max has returned to the Miracle lineup and his beginning to post multi-hit games with some regularity. His power numbers are still a bit below his career norms, but his average and OBP are beginning to climb to a more reasonable level. It's nice to see Max starting to turn things around, hopefully he can continue to build on this momentum.

 

As of 7/21, Max is posting the following numbers in Fort Myers:

 

[table]

[thead]

YearAgeAgeDifTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead]

201421-1.6FortMyersFLORA+MIN702782443758104339412647.238.319.348.6678534220

[/table]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 7/21/2014.

[aastyer]

I saw Max is back on the DL. Is he travelling with the team? I was hoping to see him play in Tampa tonight.

 

As of 7/21, Max is posting the following numbers in Fort Myers:

 

[TABLE]

Year

Age

AgeDif

Tm

Lg

Lev

Aff

G

PA

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SB

CS

BB

SO

BA

OBP

SLG

OPS

TB

GDP

HBP

SH

SF

IBB

2014

21

-1.6

FortMyers

FLOR

A+

MIN

70

278

244

37

58

10

4

3

39

4

1

26

47

.238

.319

.348

.667

85

3

4

2

2

[TD][/TD]

[/TABLE]

 

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 7/21/2014.

[iTwins]

I saw Max is back on the DL. Is he travelling with the team? I was hoping to see him play in Tampa tonight.

 

 

The most frustrating part about covering Max this year has been trying to find out ANY news from the Miracle. I follow multiple minor league reporters on Twitter along with Miracle PxP guy Brice Zimmerman (as well as the Miracle themselves, obviously). I also have a Google alert set up for ANY Max Kepler news and I still can only really find updates by checking the roster page everyday.

 

In short - it's tough to get news from this team. I'm not sure WHY Max is back on the 7 day DL (I'll post when I find out, I'm doing some research this morning to see if I can find something) so I'm not sure A) how severe the injury is or if he's traveling with the team.

[aastyer]

Thank you very much. I will attend the game. Maybe he will be there. I hope so.

[iTwins]

Thank you very much. I will attend the game. Maybe he will be there. I hope so.

 

If you see him, ask him why he's on the DL. It may be the fastest way to find an answer! (I'm kidding...kinda...)

[aastyer]

I hope to meet and talk to him. I will ask him. My wife is German. I closely follow how Max and Don Lutz are doing in baseball.

[aastyer]

Max did not travel with the team to Tampa. I was told he injured a finger.

[iTwins]

Max has been activated from the DL and is back in the Miracle lineup tonight.